Arya's Wyrda
by Shadowed Nightwings
Summary: What I think would have happened if Arya escaped Durza in Gil'ead without Eragon's help, and gone to Carvahall to find the blue dragon egg, only to find it had already hatched. in 3rd person. Eragon/Arya later in the story... I think
1. Chapter 1: Finding Brom

**Her Wyrda, Chapter One: Finding Brom**

On a fairly normal night, a seemingly young girl stumbled into the small town of Carvahall. Despite her travel worn appearance, she was extremely beautiful with raven black hair and sharp emerald eyes. The girl wearily made her way to a small tavern in the center of town. As she sat down, however, she was intercepted by a few drunken men.

"Well, what's a pretty young lady like yourself traveling alone for?" The man in front asked, leering at her. She glared at him and curtly replied, "I am looking for someone."

"I might be able to help you with that," the man sneered, putting his hand on her arm and attempting to draw her away from the crowded tavern. The girl glared icily at him and hissed, "Remove your hand from my arm or I shall do it for you." The man who was obviously the ringleader of his little gang laughed and said, "We have ourselves a feisty woman!" As he spoke, he roughly pulled her outside. The girl attempted to pull away, but she was clearly exhausted from weeks of travel, and was quickly surrounded by a ring of other men that also seemed drunk. As they pulled her into the shadows of the streets, a pleasant voice came out of the shadows, calmly saying, "I believe the lady wants to be left alone, gentlemen." The ringleader growled and said, "Brom. What business do you have here?"

Brom smoothly lied, saying, "I have come to town to see if my niece, who is visiting me from Belatona, had arrived yet. However, I see she has, and you have met her." The girl sent Brom a look of relief and silent thanks, and Brom nodded at her. "Welcome to Carvahall, Arya."

"Hello, Uncle," Arya responded. The men scowled and shoved Arya towards Brom. Brom put a gentle hand on Arya's back and guided her to his house. When Brom had shut and locked the door behind him and murmured, "Atra nosu waise vardo fra eld hornya," _Let us be warded from listeners._ Arya let out a sigh of relief as a ripple seemed to run over face, obscuring her features for a moment before her features returned, but different. Her eyes were slanted and her cheekbones higher and slimmer than a human's, and her ears tapered into points.

"Arya!" Brom said, surprised, "I assume this visit isn't for social purposes?"

The elf named Arya shook her head solemnly and said, "I bring grave news, Brom."

Brom raised his eyebrows and said, "Do tell." Arya took a deep breath and began to tell her tale…

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Ok, I don't know what Arya's story should be, so I'm letting the reader decide. Do you think

She somehow escaped Durza right after she sent the egg, or

She was in prison for about a month and escaped because the guard forgot to give her the drug and Durza was away doing something evil, or

Something else

PM me with any ideas! Constructive criticism welcome!


	2. Chapter 2: Arya's Story

Arya began her tale on a night nearly a month ago.

******FLASHBACK****(Arya's POV, 1****st**** person)**

My companions, Faolin and Glenwig, and I galloped smoothly cantered through the forest on our Elven horses. The dragon egg rested on my lap, and I frequently looked at it to make sure it was safe. "Glenwig, let's switch places," Faolin called out. "Alright," said Glenwig, gently asking the horse to move ahead of me with his mind. The horse complied, and Faolin moved back as Glenwig moved forward. Glenwig handed the spear to Faolin, and we continued riding. All the sudden, the wind changed, bringing with it a disgusting meat like smell. "Urgals! It's an ambush!" Faolin yelled, and we immediately whirled around and galloped as hard as we could in the opposite direction. "Garjzla!" a sinister voice yelled, and a red bolt of energy shot from behind a tree and hit my horse. I leapt off the noble steed as he plowed face first into the ground with a high-pitched squeal. The hair raised on the back of my neck as I realized what the malevolent presence that struck my horse down was. There was a shade behind the tree. I whirled around, looking desperately for my guards. I couldn't hope to outrun a shade, and hoped their horses survived. To my horror, I found them laying dead on the ground with Urgal arrows in their chests. In desperation, I began to run towards them, but then remembered my promise to Faolin. _"Arya," Faolin had said, "If anything ever happens to me, don't stop. Get yourself and the egg out. You're our priority."_ I had thought it silly at the time. Why would anything happen to him? But I had promised in the ancient language that I would try to save myself and the dragon egg. That foolishly made promise pulled my away, forced me to run away as tears for my dead lover streamed out of my eyes. I ran as fast as I could, but could hear the Urgals clumsily breaking through branches trying to find me. Still I ran as fast as I could, to escape the evil shade that caused the death of my best friend and lover. Several of the fastest Urgals were catching up, so I drew my sword and slew them, full of anger for what they did to my guards, but I kept running until there was a dark flash in the sky, and the maroon eyed shade landed in front of me, smiling evilly. I gasped and turned around. As appealing as the idea of killing the shade responsible for this was to me, I knew I didn't have enough energy to kill a powerful shade, and the egg was more important than revenge. The forest around me had burst into flame, and I couldn't see any escape routes. The Urgals were on one side, the shade on another, and fire ringed all around us. I clenched the pommel of my sword, but one of the promises I made as I took the yawe came back to me. _"Protect yourself, but if success is unlikely, do your duty first."_ This situation applied to that oath, so I proudly raised myself up and uttered the spell to send the egg far away somewhere safe. There were wards guarding Du Weldenvarden, and the Beor Mountains were too far away. I recalled the small village of Carvahall, where Brom had taken residence after he killed Morzan, and pictured Brom in my head as I sent the egg. Hopefully he would get the message: I, Arya, had been captured, and sent the egg to him for safe keeping. As the egg left my hand, the shade let out a scream of rage and sent a bolt of red lightning at me. I was too exhausted to block it, and sank into the darkness of unconsciousness.

*****END FLASHBACK*****

Arya came back from her world and looked at Brom. "I had hoped you would get the egg. It was the thing that tourtured me most in my days at Gil'ead, even more than Durza, the shade's tortures. Not knowing if you had gotten the egg, or if I had sent it somewhere in the wilderness where it would never be found. That's why I came here first, before going back to Ellesmera. I have to find the egg before I go back. However, judging from your expression, you didn't get it."

Brom slowly shook his head and said, "But you barely had any time to prepare. I'm sure it didn't go far. You need to rest, and we'll look for it tomorrow. But first, tell me, how did you escape from Gil'ead? It has one of the most heavily guarded prisons in Alagaesia." Arya sighed and looked away. It was painful to recount her time in Gil'ead. I had been there for about a week, maybe more. It felt like longer. Then, one afternoon, Durza was gone, most likely doing some evil deed for Galbatorix. The guard watching over me forgot to give me the drug to suppress my power, and I was able to use magic. When the guards were changing, I unlocked my cell and found the weapons room. I got my bow and arrows, along with my sword. There was also a hooded cloak, and I managed to use magic to disguise myself enough to get out of the prison without detection. After that, I ran here as fast as I could while hiding form people. I used some of the last reserves of energy I had to make myself look human, and you know what happened after that."

Brom nodded slowly, digesting the new information. Arya remained silent, knowing you can never rush Brom. "We'll look for the egg tomorrow," he decided after a moment of thought. Right now, you need rest." Arya nodded, and Brom lead her to a spare room in his house. "You can have this room." Arya smiled and whispered, "Taka ono." _Thank you _

Brom nodded and smiled at her as he closed the door. The light went out, and Arya sank into the elven state of sleep the instant her head hit the pillow.


	3. Chapter 3: Time Will Tell and Nightmares

**Hi, everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update, but here it is! Also, I forgot to do a disclaimer in my previous chapters: If I owned Eragon, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, so don't sue me!**

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**CHAPTER 3: TIME WILL TELL AND NIGHTMARES**

Brom sat in a chair in front of the roaring fire and pondered what Arya had told him. He knew that despite Arya's practically nonexistent relationship with her mother, her mother would be extremely worried about Arya. Queen Islanzadi most likely knew about the disappearance and supposed death of her daughter, and although the Queen had banished Arya from her presence, her mother still cared about Arya a great deal. Brom knew Queen Islanzadi only banished Arya in a fit of rage and anger and fear of Arya getting hurt, and now regretted it. However, both women were stubborn, and refused to make up with the other until the other apologized. Queen Islanzadi was most likely grieving for the "death" of her daughter, and, unfortunately, the wards around Du Weldenvarden prevented Brom from magically contacting the elves to tell them Arya was alive and well. Brom sighed and thought _"Only time will tell, and right now we must focus on the present, and fight the dragon egg, or the dragon and its rider if it's hatched."_ Leaning forward to gaze into the fire intently, Brom commanded, "_Draumr kopa_!" as he pictured the dragon egg in his head. The fire's flames flickered for a moment, then turned silvery gray. Releasing the flow of magic that was leaving him at a rapid pace, he leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. The absence of a picture could only mean two things: the egg was nonexistent because it had hatched, or it was surrounded by wards, presumably in Du Weldenvarden, or worse, in Uru'baen. Another thing Brom wondered about was the span of time Arya had been in Gil'ead. Although Arya had guessed she had been there for about a week, maybe longer, Brom guessed it had been longer. It had most likely been two weeks, perhaps three, depending on how long it had taken her to get to Carvahall. Either way, she didn't remember most of her time in Gil'ead. Whether this was because she was asleep or the shade had removed the memories of being imprisoned, Brom didn't know. "_Only time will tell_," he thought once more.

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Arya sat with Faolin in a meadow in the forests of Du Weldenvarden, her homeland. They laughed as they talked, until the forest turned dark and forbidding with an air of menace. "Run, Arya!" Faolin yelled. Arya stood up and frantically looked around at where to run, but red flames burst into life in a circle around them. Arya ran back to Faolin, but he had an Urgal arrow sticking out of his chest. With his dying breath, he said, "Remember your promise. Leave me; save yourself!"

"No!" Arya yelled, preparing her magic to save him, but then Faolin laughed a high, cold laugh, and turned into Durza, who hissed, "Where is the egg?"

"I don't know!" Arya sobbed before a flash of pain shot through her body and an evil mental force assaulted her mental barriers. "We will find you," Durza promised, "The empire will get the egg. You have failed."

"NO!" Arya screamed, thrashing and trying to escape the evil shade before her. "Arya, calm down," a soothing voice commanded, "It was just a dream." Slowly, Arya came back to the present and found a force holding her down on the bed. She opened her eyes to find Brom pinning her down on the bed and looking at her with concern in his eyes.

Arya's breathing slowed as she stared at Brom, recovering from her nightmare, and whispered, "It was only a dream."

Brom stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Do you want to talk about it?" He gently asked. Arya shook her head silently. "I'm fine," she responded. Brom smiled slightly and said, "Say that in the ancient language." Carefully choosing her words, Arya repeated in the ancient language, "I will be fine."

"Will you?" Brom contradicted in a voice so low, Arya wondered if she was meant to hear it. "Alright," Brom said, accepting her words, although he still didn't believe her. "Get some sleep. We'll look for the egg in the morning." Arya nodded, obediently closing her eyes. Brom could tell she wasn't asleep because of the way her body was still tense, most likely from her nightmare, but he hoped she was tired enough to fall asleep again. Brom closed the door of his guest room quietly and walked back downstairs to sit in his chair by the fire, and fell asleep wondering if the egg had hatched already, and who it had hatched for.


	4. Chapter 4: Questions

Disclaimer: If I told you I owned the Inheritance books, you wouldn't believe me, so what the point?

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A BRISINGR SPOILER!!**

**Chapter 4: Searching for a Spell and Questions**

Brom opened his eyes in the morning to find Arya standing above him, glaring down at him. "Come on, wake up!" She exclaimed. Sitting up slowly, he smirked and said, "I've never seen an elf rush before."

Arya glared at him and said in a deadly voice, "Never before has an elf lost a dragon egg and had to find it in the middle of the Empire before a foolish farm boy or anyone who would give it back to Galbatorix found it." Sensing the guilt in her voice, Brom said, "You can't blame yourself. It's because of you the Empire doesn't already have it."

"Perhaps," Arya replied coldly, "But I sent it, and it is my duty to make sure the Empire doesn't already have it."

Brom silently nodded, but said, "How do you propose we find the egg, assuming it hasn't hatched and it's somewhere around here? If it landed in the middle of the Spine, it could take years to find."

"Aye, the egg could take years to find, but we're not looking for the egg," Arya replied. She had obviously given this matter a great deal of thought.

Utterly nonplussed, Brom asked, "We're not?"

"No." Arya replied, "We're searching for the spell. A spell as strong as the one I used to send the egg should leave some sort of trace. An experienced magic user could trace that spell, and, assuming the egg hasn't hatched or carried off, we will find the egg where we find the spell." Brom nodded in understanding as Arya asked, "What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Brom smirked again at the thought of an elf rushing, but, after Arya had replaced the spell to make her look human, followed Arya out of the house and to the back of Brom's house.

Once they were standing behind the house, Arya commanded, "Open your mind and search for something that feels like my magic." Both extended their minds as far as they could reach, although that wasn't very far. Brom's magic had been diminished since the death of his dragon, and Arya was still recovering from torture and a strenuous trek across Alagaesia. Brom eventually found something out of the ordinary just on the edge of his reach, so faint he couldn't be sure if it was real. "I think I found something," Brom said slowly, not wanting to get Arya's hopes up if it was a false alarm. Arya's emerald eyes snapped open excitedly, and she eagerly demanded, "Where?"

"In the Spine," Brom replied, "It's… Blast it! Eragon is coming to my house to ask more questions." Arya glanced at Brom in surprise. "Eragon? He carries a powerful name…. Why do you have to meet him? Pretend you're not home."

"I can't," Brom replied flatly. "Why not?" Arya asked exasperatedly. Brom hesitated a moment, but knew Arya wouldn't accept his decision unless he gave her a valid reason. "I will tell you, but you must promise in the Ancient Language you will never reveal what I am about to tell you to anyone unless I give you permission. This information could be extremely dangerous for both Eragon and I in the wrong hands." Arya thought for a moment, but knew Brom would never ask her to swear anything in the Ancient Language unless it was extremely important. "Wiol ono," she replied. _For you_. Brom sighed and slowly said, "Eragon is my son." Arya blinked, stunned, before a thought occurred to her, and she asked, "Does Eragon know?" Brom shook his head and, glaring at her, said, "And I intend to keep it that way. Therefore, O mighty princess," he said with a mocking bow, "Do I have you consent to answer my son's questions?" He finished sarcastically. Arya glared at him, knowing he would do what he wanted regardless of what she said, so she snapped, "Make it quick. I'll come with to make sure you are quick about it." Brom grinned and walked around the house to greet a young boy with tousled brown hair and a sturdy build who was about to knock on his door. "What do you want, boy?" Brom called to Eragon. Eragon whirled around, his hazel eyes filled with surprise.

"To get information," Eragon replied, "I came to see if you could answer some of my questions."

"_Make this quick_," Arya hissed in Brom's mind. Brom's mental chuckle reverberated through Arya's mind. _"Eragon has more questions that leaves on a tree. We'll be here for a while."_ Arya groaned silently and Brom grunted in amusement.

Unaware of their mental conversation, Eragon stood anxiously awaiting Brom's response. "You might as well come in," Brom told Eragon, walking around him to open the door. "Your questions never end."

Eragon was obviously surprised when Arya followed Brom inside, and he glanced between Arya and Brom waiting for and introduction. "This is Arya, my niece from Dras-Leona. Arya, this is Eragon."

"Nice to meet you," Eragon replied, scrutinizing Arya with an intent expression on his face. Remembering the men she met on her first day in Carvahall, she glared at him and said, "What?"

Eragon shook his head and looked down. "Nothing, I just could have sworn I'd seen you before." Arya shook her head, confused. "I've never been to Carvahall before, where do you think you saw me?"

Eragon hesitated, looking uneasy before saying, "This is going to sound crazy, but… in a dream. You where different, though." Arya raised her eyebrows. "Different how?"

"Well…" Eragon responded, "You where in a prison, and you where an elf." Arya stared at him in shock for a moment. How was that possible? "Enough chatter," Brom cut in, "I'm sure it was just a dream." Arya suppressed a laugh as she recognized those words as the same Brom had said when she had her nightmare. "I thought you had some questions. What are they about?" Brom asked. Pulling his intent gaze from Arya, he replied, "About dragons and dragon riders. What made The Riders special, apart from their dragons?" Brom looked at Eragon suspiciously for a moment. Why was he suddenly interested in dragons? "A broad subject," he eventually declared, "If I wanted to tell the whole story, we would still be here when winter came. But first, let me get my pipe." Although Eragon waited patiently, knowing Brom would say nothing until he was ready, Arya's impatience to get rid of Eragon was showing through her typical calm mask. When Brom's pipe was lit, Eragon leaned forward eagerly in anticipation of the epic tale Brom was sure to tell, while Arya scowled inwardly and sat back in her chair, tuning both of the men out as Brom told the legend of the Dragon Riders. Brom's story lasted nearly half an hour, stopping only for tea and Eragon's seemingly endless questions. Eventually, however, Eragon's questions became more precise and detailed, asking about things the majority of humans didn't know. Brom's suspicions raised, he casually asked, "Who told you that?" Eragon evasively said, "A trader told me." Under the cover of the mysterious trader, Eragon eventually said, "He told me a rider could hear his dragon's thoughts." Arya and Brom both froze, glancing at each other. "That wasn't common knowledge, even in the rider's peak. Only the riders, the elves, and a few magicians knew that," Arya mentally told Brom. "I know," Brom replied grimly, "We should keep watch of him." Eragon continued his inquiry cautiously, apparently aware he had raised their suspicions. After a while, Eragon casually asked about dragon names. Arya and Brom shared another glance as Brom told Eragon all the names he knew, including the name Saphira, his old dragon. The pain was obvious in his eyes as he spoke her name, and even Eragon noticed something amiss in the way Brom said the name. Most likely aware of Arya and Brom's many questions about how he knew so much, Eragon thanked Brom and bid him farewell. Brom walked Eragon to the door and reached his hand out to shake Eragon's. As he released Eragon's hand, Brom casually hooked his finger onto the glove and let it drop to the ground. "Clumsy of me," Brom apologized as he bent down to pick it up. Reaching his hand out to Eragon under the cover of handing him back his glove, Brom's strong fingers clamped around Eragon's wrist and twisted his hand up to show a slightly glowing silver gedwey ignasia. Brom's eyes sparkled in triumph, and Arya just managed to prevent a gasp from leaving her flawless lips. Eragon jerked his hand away in alarm, glancing between the two motionless figures watching him, and hastily left. "Eragon is the new dragon rider," uttered an astonished Arya.


	5. Chapter 5: Contemplations

I know this chapter is short and kind of boring, but I just wanted to talk a bit more about what arya and brom both think of Eragon being the dragon rider. 

**Chapter 5: Contemplations**

Brom and Arya both stood motionless for a while, both consumed in their own thoughts.

Arya's first reaction was anger. _How could a mere farm boy become the next dragon rider?_ She thought angrily. _It was impossible. This person was the last hope of the Varden; the last hope of the elves; the last hope of the dragons! This was one of the few people who could ever hope to defeat Galbatorix. _Arya soon uprooted those thoughts, as one would pull a poisonous weed out of the ground. Eragon may be a farm boy, but the dragon wouldn't have chosen him if she wasn't completely sure that Eragon could succeed, that Eragon was worthy of saving Alagaesia.

Doubts soon began to return, however. _What will the elves think? They will be furious that their last hope is a human, and many will scorn Eragon, asking how a human could ever defeat Galbatorix. The elves had expected an elf to be the next dragon rider. _

_The elves, however, were not entirely unjustified in their anger. An elf would be ready for battle sooner. Elves naturally had skills in magic and swordsmanship that a human could take years to learn, and even then, an elf could easily best a human in a sparring match. The level of training Eragon would have to receive could take years, perhaps even decades! _

Meanwhile, Brom was having similar thoughts. _The elves will certainly be angry! And it will take a while to train him. I wonder if Garrow has taught him to read? _

_My son is the next dragon rider…. This is a catastrophe. I swore I would let him have a normal life, but now he's in even more danger that if everyone knew he was Brom the Dragon Rider, Slayer of Morzan's son. He is safe as long as no one knows where his loyalties lye. Galbatorix won't kill him until he knows Eragon won't support him, he'll most likely just expect Eragon to join his cause… but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. However, I know that I will protect Eragon with my life. _

Brom and Arya looked at each other at the same moment, and Brom repeated Arya's earlier words in stunned amusement, "My son is the next dragon rider."


	6. Chapter 6: Plans and The Truth is Out

Here is where the action begins! Disclaimer: I'm not Chris Paulini (or am i?) so I don't own any of the inheritance series! On with the story!

**Chapter 6: Plans and The Truth is Out**

"What do we do?" Arya asked.

"What do you mean?" Brom replied nonchalantly.

"Well," Arya responded, "We obviously can't just walk up to him and say _I know you're a dragon rider. We know about dragons, so we're coming with you._" Shrugging, Brom grinned and said, "Why not?" Confused, Arya stared at him for a moment before saying, "Is that what you are proposing we do?"

"Do you have an objection with that?" He replied, unconcerned. "Not really..." Arya replied slowly, "It just seems a bit direct." Brom grinned and said, "Do you have a better plan?" Without waiting for Arya to respond, he continued, "Then let's go. Eragon doesn't live in town; he lives at the end of the valley; on the edge of the Spine.

After about an hour of walking, Brom and Arya reached Eragon's house… at least what was left of it. "No," Brom gasped, staring at the wreckage. After walking around the rubble, Arya said, "Look. Dragon tracks. Eragon might not have been in the house when it was destroyed. I can sense two consciousnesses out in the woods; they're too large to be animals." Brom nodded and silently let her lead him about a mile into the woods, until they came to a small clearing surrounded by dense trees.

Peeking through the dark foliage that provided natural cover to those in the clearing, they both stifled loud gasps at the sight before them. A magnificent blue dragon stood in the clearing, and Eragon stood before her- for the dragon was unmistakably a girl- yelling, "We have to go!" he shouted, "If we don't hurry, we will loose the trail of Garrow's murderers!"

"Little one," the dragon's mind voice reverberated through their thoughts as she accidentally projected her thoughts to the area around she and Eragon, "I never said we wouldn't go after your uncle's killers. I just think you're being hasty. You saw what they did to the house. Do you really think you could beat them without any training?" Deciding this would be the best time to make his entrance; Brom stepped out of the shadows. "She's right, you know." The effect was immediate. Eragon whirled around, looking for a weapon to defend himself with. The majestic blue dragon's head whipped around, and a hair- raising growl escaped her snarling mouth. Knowing even a young dragon could seriously injure or even kill him, Brom held up his hands in a gesture of peace and said in the ancient language, "Dragon, I mean neither you nor your rider harm. I only wish to help." Although she didn't know the ancient language, the animal in her instinctively knew what he was trying to say, and knew he couldn't lie. Still eyeing him suspiciously, she stepped back and stopped growling at him. Glancing between his dragon and Brom, Eragon demanded, "What did you say?"

"It's not important," Brom replied, "but know that I mean neither you nor your dragon any harm." Beckoning to Arya, who still stood in the shadows, Brom said, "And we wish to come with you, and assist you in any way possible." Eragon shook his head and backed away slowly, obviously preparing to leap on his dragon's back and fly away. "I wish to help you, and Arya has a duty to fulfill." Glancing between the two, Eragon asked, "Why do you want to help me, and what duty does she have to fulfill?"

"That is a long story, and not one for tonight. If you wish to avenge you uncle, we must leave now, for our prey are quick, and they will not linger. I will ask you once more: Will you accept our help? You could benefit greatly from our assistance." Eragon's face went blank for a moment, appearing to converse with his dragon, before saying, "Very well. We will accept your help."

"_But_," said the majestic dragon, fixing her piercing gaze on Arya and Brom, "_If either of you ever harm Eragon in any way, I will personally track you down and rip you to pieces_." Brom bowed and twisted his hand over his chest in the elves' bow of loyalty, and said, "Admiral words, mighty dragon. May I inquire you name?"

"My name," the mighty dragon replied, "Is Saphira." Brom nodded and replied formally, "It is an honor to meet someone so great." But he looked distant, possibly remembering his past; reminiscing over his dragon of the same name, and how he lost her. "If you are done exchanging pleasantries, I suggest we depart this town. We'll have to walk to Thistford to get horses."

"Maybe you do," Eragon replied, "But I can fly Saphira." Brom shook his head. "Have you ever flown her before?" he asked. Eragon replied, "Nay, but that is what dragon riders of old were named for. They flew on their dragons."

"You need a saddle," Brom informed the boy, "or else your legs will be rubbed raw by her scales chaffing against your thighs."

"We really should get going," Arya said impatiently. Brom nodded, and with one last glance towards the only home he had ever known, Eragon reluctantly followed Arya and Brom towards his destiny.

The last line is kind of cheesy, but he kind of is going to his destiny. R&R! constructive criticism appreciated, but no flames, please!


	7. Chapter 7: The Journey Begins

**Hey! Sorry for the late update, but I've been busy. My drama group's play (called 30 Reasons not to be In a Play********) was performed this weekend. It was so fun! I also had soccer games, my friend's Bar Mitzvah, and I was watching my neighbor's dog while he was gone. So, I was busy! I also had writer's block. It was hard to write this chapter without it being too much like the original story. Enjoy! ******

**Chapter 7: The Journey Begins**

And so Brom, Eragon, and Arya began their journey. They first traveled to Therinsford to get horses. The first night of their journey, Brom stood up after supper, two carved sticks in his hand. Arya grinned, knowing what Brom was about to do, and felt sorry for Eragon.

"Defend yourself!" Brom told Eragon, throwing a stick at him. Eragon looked at Brom skeptically. Arya hid a smile, knowing what Eragon was thinking. Brom's appearance didn't look like the appearance of a trained swordsman, and Eragon most likely thought he would win easily. _He will have to learn the hard way_, Arya thought, grimacing at the thought of all the bruises and sores she had gone to bed with when she first started learning swordsmanship, _and they were most likely going easy on me because I was their princess,_ she thought, knowing Brom would give Eragon no slack. Eragon would most likely go to bed very sore until he learned how to sword fight well.

In a sudden flurry of speed, Brom attacked Eragon, disarming him in a matter of seconds. Eragon's previously confident look changed to one of amazement and disbelief. Arya watched as Brom counseled Eragon in how to fight, occasionally providing tips.

When Brom was done, Eragon threw down his stick disgustedly and stalked off to his sleeping pad. Laughing, Brom called after Eragon, "You should be glad I didn't ask Arya to teach you." Glaring at Brom from the shadows, Eragon said incredulously, "Arya? How could she be better than you?"

"Because any elf could best a human," Arya said quietly, finally deciding to tell Eragon. It would be hard to travel with him when he believed she was a human woman. Eragon stared at her in shock, but Brom looked satisfied with her decision. "I don't see what that has to do with you being better than Brom," he said slowly, apparently deciding he misunderstood her." Walking closer to the fire, Arya let the illusion that made her look human fade away, exposing her pointed ears and slanted eyes. Eragon stared at her in shock for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to his sleeping pad. Arya heard Eragon mutter under his breath, "Maybe I'm dreaming."

Turning to Brom, Arya said, "You can get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

Brom shook his head. "No need for that. The empire has no idea where we are. You can sleep." Arya smiled slightly, saying, "I'm not tired, and you can never be too cautious." Brom hesitantly nodded, and Arya went to scout the area while Brom fell into an uneasy sleep.

**I'm really sorry it's so short, but I wanted the next part to be its own chapter. I'll update soon!**


	8. Chapter 8: Az Sweldn Rak Arya

**Firstly, I want to apologize. For the five month break I took from this story. Yeah, I know it's a long time. Several people flamed me about it. But I just re-read the Eragon books, and they inspired me to write this. Again, I apologize. This chapter was just extremely hard to write for some reason. After this chapter, I think I'll have more ideas. **

**Unlike the rest of the story, this chapter is written in first person from Arya's POV. And yeah, the title's dwarf. It means The Tears of Arya. It's from the tears of Ahuin? Or something like that. It's the dwarf clan that hates Eragon. **

**- Shadow (Oh yeah- I changed my name to Shadowed Nightwings) **

**Disclaimer: Why do we even have to write a disclaimer? Everyone knows that if I had written Eragon, I obviously wouldn't be writing FanFiction! But I'd love to see someone try to sue me…**

**Random person: I would like to sue Shadow for impersonating Christopher Paolini!**

**Judge: What's her full name?**

**Random person: Well… her FanFiction name is Shadowed Nightwings!**

**Judge: Where does she live?**

**Random person (You know what? Let's call him Bob.): Um… (checks Shadow's profile) Somewhere in the US.**

**Judge: How old is she?**

**Bob: Um… (checks Shadow's profile again) Somewhere between 10 and 20. **

**Judge: Security!**

**Bob: Nooooo! I'm telling the truth! She's a lying, evil writer planning the demise of the world while typing on her laptop!**

**Yeah… that would go so well. Anyway.**

**On with the story! **

**Chapter 8: Az Sweldn rak Arya (Tears of Arya)**

I watched in relief as Brom reluctantly agreed to let me keep watch. Walking away from the flickering fire, I expanded my mind to sense everything within a mile of me.

Observing my surroundings had become second nature to me while I was the elf's ambassador, so my thoughts where free to wander. Because no one was around, I allowed the calm mask I had maintained for the past few weeks to drop, and several tears escaped from my slanted eyes as I reflected on the events of the past few months before I angrily wiped them away in an attempt not to cry. The morning before the ambush, Faolin and I had sat in a tree talking with our minds while we kept watch together.

But those moments that ended up being our last moments together where spent foolishly. Towards the end of our watch, he had said something that I didn't approve of- although I can't even remember what he said now; it seems so trivial compared to the recent events- and I had gotten mad. We departed for Osilon angry at each other. I had intended to make amends and apologize the next night; when Glenwig wasn't nearby. But I never got to. He died thinking I was angry at him.

Despite my resolve not to cry, tears had begun to poor out of my eyes like rivers flowing from emerald ponds, and I was powerless to stop them once they started. Even through my misery, I could sense a note of discord enter one of the minds I was monitoring. It was near our campsite, and I cautiously crept around the fire to where Eragon's sleeping pad was. My Elven hearing picked up nearly silent sobs coming from his sleeping pallet. Judging from the sorrowful images I managed to get from his mind, he was mourning for his dead uncle.

A flash of irrational anger shot through me. He had only lost his uncle. He knew nothing about misery or loss. He knew nothing about the cost of war; about watching people you respect or love die around you, while you are powerless to do anything but continue to fight and attempt to defeat Galbatorix in their memory, so their deaths weren't for nothing.

Angrily, I turned and walked into the forest blindly before settling myself against a tree to think. Abruptly, I realized not being accustomed to death made it worse. I was use to death; use to watching as people I knew and respected died around me, from old age, war, and disease. Very few people close to him had ever died, and he didn't know how to react.

After about half an hour, the silent sobs racking Eragon's body had subsided, and I knew he was asleep, even though he still trembled slightly. Slowly walking over to him, I knelt by his sleeping pad and whispered in the ancient language, "May the stars watch over you." A strand of brown hair hung in his face, and I gently brushed it back from his face, letting my hand rest on his cheek for a moment. Eragon's shivers slowly stopped, and a slight smile danced on his lips after a moment.

"_Thank you_," a quiet voice said in my head, and I jumped, immediately throwing up barriers around my mind and jerking my hand away from Eragon until I realized the voice in my head was Saphira, Eragon's dragon. "_I fear he will need all the help he can get in the coming years_." I sighed and responded mentally so I wouldn't wake Eragon or Brom, "_Yes, I think the fight coming will be harder for him than he ever thought it would be."_ Looking up at the blue dragon resting by Eragon, I told her, "_You can sleep. I'm keeping watch."_ Instead of responding, Saphira looked at me with her piercing blue eyes, and asked, "_So you loved Faolin?"_ Blinking in surprise, I realized I must have accidentally projected some of my thoughts as I reflected on the past. Looking down, I said quietly, "_We were mates."_

"_But did you love him?" _Saphira pressed. Looking up at her, I responded, "_Why do you think we would be mates if I didn't love him?"_ She looked away for a moment before hesitantly saying, "_There are many reasons you would mate with someone you didn't love… or that you wouldn't mate with someone you did love."_ I slowly nodded, wondering if she was talking about me or talking about herself. I also wondered if she knew she was the last female dragon in existence. Because dragons instinctively sense things in the world most of the other races of Alagaesia can't sense, I assumed that she did know, or guess, that she was the last female dragon.

I felt a rush of empathy as I suddenly realized what it would feel like to know you were the last sane member of your race, and the only one capable of continuing said race. There were two remaining eggs in Galbatorix's (**spelling? I didn't feel like looking it up)** clutches, but we had no guarantee that they would hatch, nor did we know they wouldn't hatch for riders that were as mad a Galbatorix.

Leaving me to ponder her words and keep watch, Saphira closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Staring at the dancing flames of the fire while keeping my mind open, I pondered Saphira's words. Had I loved Faolin? Or would we have been better as friends?

**So there's the chapter. Please don't kill me! I can already picture the reviews….**

**Reviewer 1: We wait five months, and you give us 2 ½ pages?!?!?**

**Me: Sorry…. I'll try to update sooner?**

**(In an announcer's voice) But wait! That's not all! Review now and get a limited time offer of a sneak preview at the next chapter, and the next chapter posted sooner! (As soon a I write it anyway…) **

**But I am sorry. I'll try to write longer chapters in the future; some people have complained about that. **

**So review! The little green button won't bite! **


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